


THAT DAY IN DECEMBER

by Greenleaf66



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-22 21:03:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13175163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenleaf66/pseuds/Greenleaf66
Summary: Just a bit of Christmas wishing on my part!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, I was working on a follow up to Scholam Deserto, but decided (after the fall finale) to do something in Canon-Up-To-This-Point, and out came this……Of course, nothing will happen as I have imagined it, but there’s so many loose ends on the show right now, here’s my small attempt to tie up a few of them. (And I did really want to pull our favourite devil’s chain, just a little a bit, couldn’t help myself!) More comments at the end.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I don’t own any of these characters, they belong to their creators…..I just borrow them once in awhile when the mood strikes!

Lucifer watched in astonishment as Chloe shot him a poisoned dart look and stomped off towards Lt. Pierce’s office.

Dan was at his left elbow. “Way to go, man, you really ought to learn some tact…..”

“And just what do you mean by that, Daniel?” Lucifer snapped indignantly.

Dan was shaking his head and managed an eye roll at the question. “I thought you, well, had a thing for Chloe,” as Lucifer huffed, “you basically just told her she was so boring you’d rather do anything else on Christmas. Way to go….”

“I did NOT say she was boring!” Lucifer hissed at him.

“Hey, I heard you, man. She invited you over to have a big Christmas dinner at her place and you basically said you’d rather be anywhere else. Sometimes I wonder how you get all the women you do! I figured you of all guys would know that no woman likes to be told she’s boring, even if she is – which Chloe certainly isn’t!”

Lucifer was glaring at him.

“She may not be the best cook in the world, but she puts together a pretty awesome Christmas dinner……You could have just said you were busy. She didn’t have to invite you and you didn’t have to insult her…..”

As Dan turned on his heel, he shot back “Lemme tell you something, Lucifer, there’s no place that I would rather be on Christmas Day. Don’t you worry, we’ll have a load of fun without you there.”

Lucifer shot Dan’s back a black look. He was in a bad mood now, a really bad mood. He reached into his pocket for the silver flask and took a long swig.

The Detective was mad at him again. It seemed like that was her default setting with him these days.

He knew she was still seething about him kidnapping the Sinnerman, and he had to admit she had a right to be, even if his reasons for not keeping her in the loop were perfectly good and honourable ones. 

Without knowing what the supposed Sinnerman actually wanted from him, there was certainly no sense putting her in unnecessary danger now, was there?

Glancing around, he could see her back through the glass that demarcated the lieutenant’s office. Marcus (Cain, fuck, not Marcus!) was laughing. Chloe was gesturing wildly with her arms and pacing back and forth as she spoke.

Yeah, she was angry. He wondered what she was saying to Cain. 

Bloody Hell, he thought to himself as Marcus/Cain looked at him with a little too self-satisfied of a grin, before Lucifer turned on his heel and left the precinct.

Lucifer hated Christmas. 

It wasn’t just the fact that he thought his half-brother was a bit of a pedantic twit, always quoting scripture and lecturing everyone, it was the fuss the humans made about December 25. It wasn’t even Yeshuah’s real birthday, but oh, they made such a bloody production of it, the lights, the decorations, the mad pursuit of the latest cool gadgets and gewgaws. 

He didn’t mind the uptick in major partying, that could be a bit of all right……..It was that people got so bloody maudlin about it all. All those family gatherings and family this and family that. 

It burned, and he didn’t like being reminded that there were families that were actually loving and happy. Families that wanted to be together.

It was all a load of bollocks anyway.

His mood darkened as he drove the Corvette back to Lux and pulled up in front of the entrance, tossing the keys idly to the attendant on duty. It got even darker as he strode into the empty bar, it being barely noon. Not even the set-up crew had arrived and weren’t due until mid-afternoon.

A drink, I need a bloody drink. The Devil does NOT bloody well do bloody Christmas!

____________

 

After Chloe’s rant at the Lieutenant had died down enough that she took a breath, she noticed that Marcus was grinning at her.

“Decker, you seem a bit stressed to me,” she was about to reply but he said “I’m not finished. Look, I know you’ve got a kid and all and I take it you’re planning some big Christmas dinner……It’s Wednesday, tomorrow’s the Solstice and your holidays start Friday. Why don’t you take the rest of today and tomorrow too and leave early? You’ve earned it – from all I can see you’ve worked damned hard this year, I think the Department can do without you for an extra day and a half…..”

Chloe was surprised but gratefully accepted the offer. “How’d you know about the dinner?”

“Oh, a little bird name Lopez told me. That gal sure likes to talk a lot. Said you had invited her then went babbling on about her four brothers all being in town and, well, you know, blah, blah, blah--”

Chloe laughed, “Well, I do have a lot to do. Hey, Lieutenant, thanks! And Merry Christmas.”

“Same to you, Decker,” he said, as she turned to leave adding “Don’t let your partner get to you like that. From what I’ve been able to tell, the man is an idiot.”

Chloe did not disagree.

________

 

Lucifer supposed he was considered a “good employer.” It had become almost a tradition since the third year he’d owned the club that Lux was closed from the night of the winter Solstice until New Year’s Eve.

His staff had those ten days off, with pay and a rather generous bonus. Lucifer demanded loyalty, but most of all, he demanded discretion. He paid them well and made sure there was nothing for them to gripe about, figuring quite accurately that happy employees would be loyal and discrete ones, and it had been proven in practice far more often than not.

The first year he had owned Lux back in 2012, they had stayed open for the whole of the Christmas season, but the atmosphere had not been the usual mix of happy indulgence and mystery. It had been strained. People got drunker than usual, their smiles more brittle, the attempted hook-ups less subtle, more desperate.

The second year was no better and he had decided closing the place from the 21st or 22nd until the 30th would be infinitely better than spoiling otherwise good party nights. And the private parties that Maze helped organize were more interesting and fun anyway.

No. He did not like this time of year, no matter how much importance the humans put on it.

He much preferred New Year’s Eve. That particular night of the year Lux turned into the hot party palace he enjoyed so much. In fact, it had rapidly become by reputation one of the hottest tickets in town. 

Today was Wednesday, December 20. Tomorrow was the staff party in honour of the Solstice. It was a private affair with his staff and their personal invitees, and an open bar. He made sure that the catered food was plentiful and excellent. Everyone had a tremendously good time, the night before ten days off with pay, as they should have.

Over the years, many had offered to show their gratitude in rather personal and intimate ways, and some had even proved extremely tempting. But Lucifer would have none of it. There was enough gossip zipping around Lux about the clientele. He certainly didn’t need to add petty personal jealousies simmering in the work place. 

No, that would not do at all.

Since Maze had left her former duties of running the club, her second in command, Andre, had stepped up into the role of major domo, and he had done a tremendous job. He was the quiet sort, a superb bartender, and a fine-looking fellow, to boot. He ran the place with a firm but fair hand and had the respect of all who worked there. 

And he was actually extremely good at bookkeeping, a task that Maze had never truly taken seriously, being far too easily distracted by dreaming up ways to have sex behind the bar.

Andre had proven to be far more competent at the job and Lux ran like the proverbial well-oiled machine. 

Yes, tonight was the last evening the club would be open to the public. Something entertaining was bound to come up. 

He poured himself a quick shot of bourbon and headed upstairs.  
_______

It was well into the evening, finally, as Lucifer, nattily attired as usual, headed downstairs. 

His mood had perked up some by the time he entered the elevator. He found himself itchy for distraction on this particular night, and hoped some interesting people would turn up, maybe an old dalliance, or perhaps someone new and delightfully fascinating. Lux was often a very happy hunting ground and he hoped it would be on this evening.

He took a position at the railing on the mezzanine. The club was not packed, but filling up. He glanced over the crowd and immediately recognized the form of Brittany #3 (or was it #1?) slinking across the dance floor towards a rather nice-looking man, perhaps in his mid-twenties. She was looking altogether fine in a sparkling short dress and impossibly high heels.

A good place to start, he smiled to himself.

But his nascent enthusiasm was dashed as soon as he had reached her, as she excitedly reached for the arm of the twenty-something, and said “Oh, Lucifer, there you are. So nice to see you, I want you to meet Jean-Pierre……..we’re getting married!” as she waved a diamond-clad hand towards him.

“Rather sudden, isn’t it?” He looked at her and politely shook the fellow’s hand, not really caring to make any impression whatever, “French, are you?”

“Quebecois,” he answered immediately.

“We met on my ski trip up to Whistler,” Brittany told him (yes it was #3, as it happened) “We hit it off right away……turns out he works here in LA.”

“And now that you are engaged, my dear, what brings you to this den of iniquity?”

“Jean-Pierre wanted to see where I used to hang out---” Lucifer noted the past tense.

“Yes, yes,” the boyfriend said, “obviously I’ve heard of Lux, but I haven’t ever found the time to actually come here. It is a fine place,” he added politely, ignoring the look of boredom on Lucifer’s face.

“Well, enjoy yourselves, both of you. We’ll be closed until NY Eve this year, so it’s your last chance for an evening of decadence,” he said turning away. 

Neither of them noticed his back stiffening as they both intoned “Merry Christmas!” and went about schmoozing with the other patrons.

How easy it had been to spoil his mood. He shook himself and glanced around the room, hoping to spot a more promising diversion.

He literally cringed when he saw Amenadiel’s familiar form waving at him, a big grin plastered across his face. (Oh great, now I have to listen to another one of this git’s boring lectures….) He thought of running but instead walked through the crowd until he had reached his brother.

“What brings you by tonight, bro?” He tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

“I, uh, asked Linda to meet me for a drink, and here is as good a place as any….” (So, Lucifer thought, Maze was spot on about those two, wondered what Linda could possibly see in the boring angel.)

“Oh, really?” Lucifer intoned, quirking his right eyebrow at his brother.

“Just a drink, Lucifer, it’s just a drink. I like Linda. She’s an interesting person and very intelligent. I like talking to her. And, well, after what mom did, I’ve been concerned about her……..”

“Our dear doctor appears to be fine,” the devil said as he nodded at the bartender and held up two fingers. Linda arrived just as the waitress delivered their bourbon and hustled away to get the doctor a drink.

“Hey, Lucifer,” she gave his hand a squeeze, “Thought we’d meet for a drink before you close up for Christmas.”

“Not you TOO, doctor!” Lucifer growled. “I am NOT closing because it’s Christmas. We close every year for a few days to get ready for the New Year’s bash, it has nothing to do with BLOODY Christmas,” his raised voice got the attention of people at the nearest tables.

Growling in annoyance, he downed his bourbon in one gulp and stormed away, his body language and scowl making it very clear that he was NOT to be followed.

Linda and Amenadiel looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“Not into Christmas, eh?” She looked up at Amenadiel with a giggle.

“Not so much,” he agreed, with a chuckle of his own, watching his brother’s back as he took the stairs to the private elevator two at a time. “He does make a rather good Scrooge though, wouldn’t you say?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she looked thoughtful, “I think he’s much more like the Grinch, not the movie Grinch, the one from the old cartoon.”

Amenadiel roared with laughter, as Linda clinked glasses with him.

____________

Lucifer spent the rest of the evening glowering in the penthouse and drinking, scanning through the A volume of his series of little black books, recalling the faces that went with each of the names, as well as their proclivities, trying to decide who, what and where would be best to entertain himself over these blasted holidays.

The following morning, he was surprised to see Andre at the early hour of 10:00 a.m., as he nursed a large brandy alongside the triple espresso he liked to start his day off with.

“Uh, boss?” Andre seemed a little tentative, which was very unlike him.

“Something I can do for you?” Lucifer was smiling.

“Uh, well, um……..”

“Spit it out man, you know you don’t have to be shy with me. What’s on your mind?”

The man’s discomfiture was clear in his body language. Lucifer poured the fellow a short brandy and indicated that he should sit.

“I have, um, a really big favour to ask, boss. And I don’t think you’re going to like it much. But, well, here goes…….

“I’d like to borrow Lux for a couple of days….”

Lucifer’s eyes widened in complete astonishment as Andre explained his plan.

____________

It had just gone 1:00 p.m. when he arrived at Linda’s building.

Her office door was halfway open and Lucifer could hear her laughing. She was talking to someone on the phone, obviously, from the one-sided conversation, and he heard Linda through giggles ask “Can I bring anything?” (Silence, then more laughter.) 

“Oh, I know! I’ll dig out my mom’s old strudel recipe, she used to make it every holiday, it’s to die for! Haven’t made it in years, but I’ll never forget how!” (More silence, more giggles.) “Sure! Okay. Thanks so much for including me! This sounds like a lot of fun.”

For a moment it seemed she had ended the call, then came a hasty, “Oh, wait! Chloe? Are you still there? What time?” After a moment, “Oh, sure, sure I can…..yeah, I agree” (more laughter), “I can’t see Maze being much help in the kitchen, I’m not really seeing her as a great, um, cook! And didn’t you tell me she likes throwing the dishes away rather than washing them?” (still more laughter.) 

“No, it’s no trouble. Wasn’t doing anything definite anyway, and it gets me nicely out of an invite I really, really did NOT want to accept! I’ll be glad to…. It’s been a while since I’ve helped make Christmas dinner. Hey, I’m really looking forward to it……”

At that, Lucifer strode in, as Linda said “Ok, Tribey, see you on Monday. Try not to get too stressed!”

Lucifer didn’t realize he was glaring at her, thinking to himself, even Linda. Damn it. Boring, boring, boring. It hadn’t helped his mood that every number he had called the night before (those that answered anyway) had plans, with family, friends or travel. After a couple of dozen fruitless attempts, he had opened a bottle of tequila and spent the rest of the evening drinking it.

“What’s that look for, if I might ask?” she was looking up at him over the dark rims of her glasses.

“Making plans?” He said as innocently as possible.

“Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve just accepted an invite to Christmas dinner. At Chloe’s.” He could have sworn the look she gave him was defiant. “Will you be there? Chloe mentioned that she had invited you, but you brushed her off……”

“I did NOT brush her off! I simply told her I could find something more interesting to do than pretend to celebrate some ridiculous ---“

Linda interrupted. “Right. Because you don’t celebrate your brother’s birthday—“

“HALF brother. And bloody December 25 isn’t even his damned birthday, that’s in February, if you must know. And NO, I do NOT celebrate this stupid holiday--” Lucifer smirked, “and, trust me, he’d hate what you humans have turned it into, totally not what he was into at all! He was a bit of a stuffed shirt, you know…..though even I have to admit, he did make great wine.”

Linda let out a bellow of laughter. “Yes, well, I kinda figured you wouldn’t be into Christmas, Lucifer. Even I get THAT. But you could have been a little nicer about it, instead of implying how boring it all is for you…….You might have just said you already have plans……”

“But at that moment I didn’t have any plans---“

“Oh, right, and you never lie. Not even a small lie to spare hurting someone’s feelings? And, speaking of ‘lies,’ have you told her who you are yet? I mean, now that you have your wings -- that should make it easier, at least you won’t scare her half to death…..and, well, they are rather spectacular--”

“BUT THEY ARE NOT ME!!!”

Linda looked at him for a second and then her face brightened as a thought occurred to her.

Her voice was quiet and as soothing as she could make it. “Lucifer, do you remember the day you punched a hole in my wall?”

He was staring at her intently, not quite sure where she was going with this line of questioning.

“Of course I remember, doctor. You were being particularly annoying that day.”

“Oh really? Well, I seem to recall you weren’t your most charming self either….do you remember what we were talking about? Someone had stolen something from you…”

“My wings,” he said quietly. “At least, the original pair, before I burned them.”

“I recall you being very upset that they had been stolen. Of course then I still thought you were lost in your metaphoric world. But I tried to play along and we talked about fallen angels rising……….that’s when you got so upset. Seems to me that they were very important to you, at least then……”

“They were MINE, not anyone else’s, Mine, doctor.” He was silent for a moment before he said “and the feathers, they have certain, um, properties that, well, let’s just say they shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“Why is that?” Linda was truly curious.

“There’s a certain set of powers that come with them, because they aren’t of this realm. My wing feathers can heal injuries, for example.” Among other things, he thought to himself. 

“Yet you say they aren’t part of you. But you were an angel before you were The Devil, weren’t you? So they have in fact been a part of you for far longer than your devil form.” A sudden thought flashed in her eyes.

“Please tell me that you didn’t cut them off again, Lucifer--”

“No,” he answered quietly. “I decided you were right about the self-mutilation thing…..”

“I wonder why you want to destroy part of yourself in the first place, Lucifer, maybe you should think about that for awhile. And don’t give me that crap about them being a symbol of your father manipulating you…….It is what you are, isn’t it? An angel, whether fallen or not? Seems rather pointless trying to fight your own basic nature, doesn’t it? Have you figured out yet why they happen to have, well, for lack of a better word, grown back?”

“I thought I had the culprit,” he told her. “But I was wrong. So, no to your question, doctor.”

He was about to tell her about Andre’s request, but guessed in advance that she’d be all for it, so he decided to say nothing and hoped that no one he knew would ever notice. Why he had agreed he put down to the fact that Andre would owe him a very large favour indeed…

____________

 

Maze had been unbelievably helpful with the hiding of the presents. Trixie was forbidden to go into Maze’s room (except of course for all those times when the two conspirators enjoyed a quick and sneaky visit, there was no need for Chloe to know about that, though her detective instincts knew that those two were adept at working around her).

There was a rather good-sized walk-in closet in Maze’s room (a good thing too, as she had an obscene amount of clothing and…….gear of various sorts that Chloe did not want to think too much about).

“Trixie gets better every year at finding the presents, so I have to get better at hiding them,” Chloe had told her roommate with a laugh, as Maze had pulled down “things” from the very top shelf at the very back of the closet. 

“I don’t think she’ll be able to reach up here, even if she does manage to sneak in ……..You do know I keep my door locked when I’m not here?” Maze offered.

Chloe snorted, “look, I don’t even want to know what you two get up to when I’m not around….I trust you, Maze, I know you’d never let anything harm Trixie…..and she is very fond of you. My daughter has always been a pretty good judge of character.”

Maze still puzzled her, despite the fact that she too was warming up to the demon. In some strange way, it was a comfort knowing that she was around, especially when she herself wasn’t. Trixie called her “fierce.” 

The child had no real idea how right she was. Chloe had seen Maze fight more than once and wouldn’t have given even Bruce Lee a chance against her. It felt good having a roommate that could take out a half dozen burly men without breaking a sweat. She chuckled, realizing she still thought the word “ninja” almost every time she thought of her strange roommate.

______________

It turned out that the extra time off was exactly what Chloe needed. It left her the time to pick up some extra chairs from the party rental place and time to get the tree. She never put the tree up before the winter Solstice, a tradition she had picked up from her mother. Somehow, waiting until almost Christmas made it all the more special….

She was almost glad her mum wasn’t coming for dinner on the 25th. Penelope had instead accepted an invite from some old Hollywood friends, the cast of the appallingly bad “Vampire Vixens From Outer Space,” according to Rotten Tomatoes, one of the worst films ever made. But for some reason, they had decided that a 30th reunion over Christmas would be a wonderfully campy idea. The director had worked himself up to better B movies (VVOS being much lower than a B), and television, and was more or less doing all right. He had booked a chalet in Aspen for the entire week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. 

And Penelope (God bless her, Chloe thought) never missed a chance to schmooze with her old acting pals… “You never know, honey. Tim is into a lot of different things now…….doesn’t hurt to let folks know you’re still available.”

Chloe just shook her head. It had been 30 years since Penelope had been the reigning Queen of Cheesy Sci-Fi, but she did not express her doubts openly and wished her mum a wonderful time.

Penny came over on the Solstice and helped them put the tree up, leaving packages for her daughter and Dan, and several for Trixie. They drank hot chocolate and laughed by the fire and watched a Christmas movie.

And when Trixie had gone to bed, Chloe and her mom watched “Bad Santa” (the uncut version on Netflix) and laughed hysterically as they shared a bottle of wine.

“Your dad would have loved this one, you know,” Penny chuckled. It wasn’t often that she mentioned Chloe’s father.

“You’re right, mum, he would have laughed his ass off,” she agreed wistfully. “I still miss him,” Chloe said quietly, “especially at Christmas.”

“Yeah, honey, so do I. So do I,” before taking her leave, “I love you, sweetheart. You make sure you have a good time……”

And by the time Christmas Day rolled around, she was determined she would do just that.

_________

 

Chloe had worked hard for days on the logistics of Christmas day, eight or nine for dinner, a 20-pound bird should do it and a new roasting pan to cook it in – it was bigger than the largest bird she had made before. She was glad she had remembered to buy a lifter to help get the thing out of the roaster.

Ha, I’ll let Dan do that, she thought with a smile, trying her best NOT to think of Lucifer. She was grateful there was so much to do.

The morning had been insane, juggling Trixie’s excitement opening her gifts with making the stuffing and getting the bird in the oven in time for it to be ready before midnight, but somehow she’d managed it. 

She’d been smart and done some of the stuffing prep the night before, after Trixie had gone to bed. Cutting the onions, sautéing the hot Italian sausage, tearing various strips of four different kinds of bread and leaving them to air-dry overnight in a huge bowl……..It would save a lot of time Christmas morning.

Trixie was in present overload by the time the bird went into the oven. Her dad had dropped in the night before to share in the tradition of opening, one, just one gift on Christmas Eve, but it was Maze’s gift that had made her literally squeal with delight that morning. 

The demon had had a set of rubber knives made for the child, visual duplicates of her own oft-used pair of Hell blades. Trixie had gone absolutely nuts at the sight, and hurled herself at Maze, almost knocking her over.

“Your mom won’t let you use the real ones, so you can practice with these until you get a bit older, and then we’ll see about some real training!”

Trixie had thrown her arms around the demon’s neck and whispered “I love you, Maze” into the surprised ear. What surprised Maze even more was the warm and happy feeling that it gave her. Especially as she knew the little human was telling the truth. She couldn’t help but return the hug nearly as fiercely as the child had given it.

“I have a present for you too!” Trixie ran to the tree and retrieved a small box, neatly wrapped in red and green paper with a silver bow and handed it to her friend. Inside were three round hair clips to hold a pony tail, covered in large rhinestones and marcasites.

“It’s hair bling,” the child told her, “for when you do the Egyptian dancer tail, they will look so pretty!”

Maze was grinning at her.

“I looked them up on the internet when you told me about Egyptian dancers. You wear your hair like that sometimes. A nice lady in the mall showed me these and I thought they were perfect.”

She gave the demon a huge hug.

Chloe could not remember that shopping trip, one of many, and wondered when Trixie had bought them. Damn, she’s getting so clever way too fast, she thought. How come I didn’t catch that?

The dinner would be ready by 6:00, Linda would be arriving soon to help with the last of the prep. Chloe looked at her daughter and her roommate, strangely happy that their unusual living arrangements had worked out so well.

“Come on, you two, you guys are gonna help me move some furniture, so we can set up the extra table for dinner.” She noted the mutual eye rolls the child and demon exchanged. 

“Hey, once we get that done, we can have some eggnog and that wonderful shortbread your dad brought over last night…..come on, chop chop!”

______

 

Linda arrived as promised at 2:00 in the afternoon. The turkey was in the oven and already smelling ten kinds of wonderful, with wafts of garlic and fresh sage filling the air. Chloe had the fireplace on, though it wasn’t really cold. Nippy perhaps, but not really worth a fire.

Did give an extra sparkle to the ornaments though, Linda thought, as she put the strudel on the counter Chloe had just finished wiping.

“Well, I did it,” she announced triumphantly. “It’s been a few years, but once I got started it all came back…..I could’ve almost sworn my mum was in the kitchen with me, telling me to ‘add a little more flour to that dough, it’s a bit too dark’ – we always used to make this together……..She wrote out the recipe for me when I was 15…..” her voice trailed away at the memory.

“Hey, can I get you a glass of wine?” At Linda’s affirmative nod, she added, “I think we’d better sample some of this, don’t you? I mean, just to make sure it hasn’t spoiled or anything--”

“Right, right you are! Wouldn’t want to poison your guests now, would we! Got a knife?”

Chloe handed it to her laughing. 

“We’ll just cut a few small samples, just to be sure……..

“Now, what can I do to help this feast along?”

_____

 

Dan was just about to head out the door on his way to Chloe’s when he felt his phone vibrate. 

He was surprised that Charlotte’s name registered on the screen. “Hey, Merry Christmas, Charlotte,” only to be met with silence, before a rather strained, “same to you, Det --- I mean, Dan.”

“I’m just heading out to Chloe’s for dinner. What’s up with you?”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know, I was hoping you’re weren’t busy. But of course you are. Of course you’d have dinner with your daughter and her mother. I saw my kids last night,” she added sadly.

“Are you all right?”

“I just, well, I’ve been wandering around my apartment. It’s the first Christmas I’ve ever been alone……I, um, miss having turkey dinner with my kids….”

Dan thought quickly and hoped he wasn’t making a big mistake. “Look, Charlotte, why don’t you come to Chloe’s with me? I’m sure she won’t mind, there’ll be a few people there. Trix likes you……might not be as fancy as you’re used to, but Chloe always does Christmas up in style – you know, turkey dinner, the works--”

“I don’t want to impose--”

“Nonsense,” he interrupted her. “I’m just heading out now, I’ll pick you up in, oh, fifteen?”

“Dan? Thank you, I really am grateful for this.”

He smiled as he hung up. This day was beginning to take quite an interesting turn indeed.

______

“Just as long as you keep my name out of it! I mean it, Andre, if you do any interviews, it’s all on you and the staff. I don’t want to hear my name mentioned,” Lucifer was glaring at the man, who stood there with a knowing smile.

“Thanks, boss. I owe you big time for this and so will a lot of people. You’re not as much of a hard ass as you pretend to be sometimes. And you can call in this favour any time you want.”

He fixed Andre with a black scowl before heading up to the penthouse, “You just better make sure things are put back right, PDQ, or I might regret saying yes to your stupid idea.”

He didn’t see Andre’s ear-splitting grin behind him, and that was probably a good thing for Andre.

Once in the penthouse, Lucifer scoured his liquor collection, finally selecting two bottles of a grand cru Bordeaux, then adding a bottle of Laphroaig, just in case.

He made sure the place was secured then took the elevator down to the underground private lot where his collection of vehicles was parked. He locked the elevator down with the only key in existence. No hordes of homeless were going be wandering through his private space on this particular day.

Fuck, he thought to himself, I’m getting bloody soft, and wondered idly if angels could actually suffer from dementia.

He got into the Corvette and headed out into the surprisingly light LA traffic. 

___________

Amenadiel arrived just in time to help them set up the rental table and chairs. Chloe was relieved that it was the same height as their dining table, it would certainly make it look a lot nicer, once the holiday table clothes went on and it was set. 

She and Maze had pushed the sofa to within five feet of the gas fireplace, and moved the armchair near the entranceway, as well as the side tables. It was a bit odd-looking, but with the tree taking up so much room, it was the only spot available.

Part of the entranceway was now the dining room and, though the chairs didn’t match, there was comfortable seating for eight now, with elbow room and plenty of space for all the assorted dishes. Chloe had done the Brussels sprouts, they would bake in the oven with bacon bits and a sprinkling of parmesan, a new way of doing them she’d been wanting to try, simple but sounded amazing.

Dan was bringing his family recipe for candied yams, which he loved and Chloe could not stand. No, her family was definitely sprouts, not yams. Dan’s mum had shown him how to make them though and he’d become quite good at it over the years, especially as he usually had to eat most of them himself – not that he minded, he had laughed while making them that morning. 

Charlotte was waiting at the entrance to her building as Dan pulled up, a wide smile brightening her face as he leaned over to open the passenger door for her. 

She looked down at the covered baking dish that seemed to be living on the passenger seat.

“Oh, hope you don’t mind holding those on your lap. Candied yams,” he offered by way of explanation. “Chloe can’t stand them, but to me it just isn’t turkey dinner without them. My mum taught me how to make them and so that’s my contribution to the meal.”

“Well,” she smiled at him. “I just happen to love yams!” Dan was grinning at her.

______

It had gone past 4:00 on Christmas Day and Maze had pulled Linda out onto the small balcony of their apartment. It had been pleasantly warm in the high 60’s for most of the day, but it was starting to cool off in the late afternoon, and expected to dip into the low 40’s later in the evening.

Each woman had a glass of wine in hand.

“Ok, Maze, what’s on your mind?” Linda asked.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, doc, about you and Amenadiel,” she began.

“And?” Linda was not at all sure she wanted to hear anything more from the demon about her association with Lucifer’s brother.

“Um, you two seem to have a thing, I mean you talk to each other--”

Linda looked down at the wine in her glass, before taking a sip. “I guess it’s mostly because there was no one else to talk to, you know, about the stuff that happened. I mean, now that I know about all of you – you were gone on a lot of assignments and, well, Lucifer isn’t exactly understanding and supportive, if you get my drift.”

Maze snorted and took a big swallow of wine. “You got that one right, Linda. Getting Mr. Selfish to even listen, well, it isn’t easy at the best of times--”

Linda smiled in agreement before continuing. “Anyway,” she said, “after the, uh, incident with the goddess at my office, and then my ex-husband getting himself killed, I really needed an outlet. Lucifer was no help.”

Yeah, I can believe that, Maze thought to herself.

“Amenadiel came to see me, and it really felt good to be able to talk to someone, someone in the know, about all of it. He was kind and comforting, in an odd way, and I really appreciated being able to talk about it. There really wasn’t anyone else I could turn to – this year has been, well, fucked. You know?”

Maze looked at her. “I hear ya, doc. That’s why I’ve changed my mind, about what I asked you……..Look, I was wrong, ok? If you guys really, I mean, want to get together……Well, you know, it really isn’t any of my business. I think what worried me was that you and I wouldn’t get to spend much time together anymore--”

Linda interrupted by giving the demon a hug of appreciation.

“That isn’t going to happen, I promise,” she said, tightening the hug just a little bit. “I wouldn’t do that to my best friend.”

Amenadiel was watching them from the living room, wondering what they could be discussing so intently. Linda had never told him about Maze’s request and he had not questioned why she seemed so undecided about him. He had simply put it down to the fact that she knew he was an angel and wanted to be sure about her feelings…after all, he knew it had all been weird for her, and not a little frightening.

He poured himself a glass of wine, noting Chloe still bustling about the kitchen, and stepped out onto the balcony. The demon and the doctor turned to look at him, and the three clinked glasses, as Maze said “hey, a toast to better times. For all of us,” she said with a knowing smile.

They heard the doorbell ring and Trixie’s loud “I’ll get it! It’s my dad!” as she ran to the door. It was indeed Dan, and someone behind him.

Amenadiel’s back was turned, but both he and Maze saw Linda’s eyes go wide and the sharp intake of breath. He whipped around to see the woman whose body his mother had borrowed in her time on earth and realized that Linda had not laid eyes on her since the awful day when she had almost lost her life at “Charlotte’s” hands.

Linda had gone ghost-white and he saw Maze’s upper lip curled in a vicious snarl as she saw the lawyer. Wanting to stop what he guessed the demon was about to do, he grabbed each of them by one arm, leaned in and whispered, “Remember, both of you, this woman is actually Charlotte Richards, she doesn’t remember ANYTHING about being mum or any of the things she did while our mother was using her body……”

At that, he felt Linda relax and a second later Maze gave a derisive sniff, and she too relaxed, as he said “maybe we should go back in and say hello.”

Chloe had come out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with a tea towel and very surprised to see their new prosecutor in her home.

“I was just heading out the door,” Dan explained, “when Charlotte called me. She’s all by herself today, so I hoped you wouldn’t mind if I invited her…..”

Chloe looked surprised, but certainly not upset.

“No, no, of course not,” she said, “It’s Christmas Day. The more, the merrier…. Come in, Charlotte, make yourself comfortable. Can I get you some wine?”

Dan handed her the dish of yams and she laughed. “Can’t do without these now, can you, Dan?” Then to Charlotte, “Come with me while I find a spot to put these, I’ll get you a glass…..” and the lawyer followed, thanking Chloe for her hospitality, “I didn’t want to impose on you, but I was looking at spending Christmas alone this year and it was, well, a bit scary…..the divorce, you know. The boys are with their dad and his parents today…” The two women continued to speak quietly as Charlotte followed Chloe into the galley kitchen and accepted a glass of pinot grigio.

“I think you know everyone here,” Chloe told her, nodding at Linda and Maze, “that one is my roommate and the other is Linda Martin……she’s a psychiatrist.”

“And your roommate?” Charlotte asked, glancing in Maze’s direction.

“Bounty hunter, you’ve probably seen her around the station….” She walked beside Charlotte and made the introductions, noticing oddly that Linda seemed just a little perturbed as she shook the lawyer’s hand.

_____

 

They were all feeling happily half-buzzed by the time it came to set the table and there was a lot of laughter as the adults cracked jokes and traded stories of some of the strange things 2017 had brought, not just to each of them, but to the world in general. It had been a year to remember, so much so that they were all agreed they would rather forget it, the sooner the better.

Trixie hung beside Charlotte. Did she sense that the lawyer missed her own children or was she doing due diligence with the woman that it looked like her dad was becoming involved with? Charlotte couldn’t decide one way or the other, but appreciated the little girl’s presence, as Trixie helpfully explained Christmas with the Decker-Espinozas. She prattled happily as they all pitched in to set the table and start carrying the platters of food that would soon cover it.

“Ok, Dan,” Chloe called from the kitchen. “I cooked the thing, YOU can carry it out to the table and do the honours, if you wouldn’t mind!” 

And of course, they all ooh’d and aw’d as the perfect bird (and a damned heavy one, Dan thought) got positioned at the end of the long table nearest the kitchen. Chloe followed with a steaming huge bowl of the inner stuffing, mixed with the extra she had made on the side.

They all agreed, it smelled wonderful, it looked wonderful, as Dan reached for the super-sharp carving knife that only came out on holidays, and set to work like a seasoned professional on carving up the massive bird.

“Sit wherever you guys want,” Chloe told them as she placed the dish of bacon-baked Brussels on the table and went back for the yams she had reheated as the bird was resting. There was a large fresh salad as well and a platter of oven biscuits and Linda helped her carry one of the two large gravy boats, one for each end of the table.

“Come on, everyone, DIG IN!” Chloe announced as the final bowl was deposited table-side.

She was about to sit down, when the quiet knock at the door actually startled her. Everyone stopped reaching and turned to see who the late arrival was.

“I know who it is!!!” Trixie screamed as she ran for the door. “I’ll get it, I’ll get it!”

And there he was, looking, was that contrite? Dan wondered, as his daughter launched herself at Lucifer, babbling “I’m so glad you came, mummy said you wouldn’t but I knew you’d come! Come on,” she grabbed him by the hand and started pulling him towards the table, almost making him drop the carryall he had in the other hand….

“Trixie, honey,” Dan said “Let the guy take his coat off! Come on, you sit,” as he walked up to Lucifer and took the carryall. “Oh, you brought more wine, thanks, man,” and in a whisper “not sure I’m glad you changed your mind, but I’m pretty sure that Chloe is.”

And his ex-wife was glad that everyone but Lucifer was staring at him, and that no one noticed how her eyes had teared up. She turned aside quickly and walked around the end of the table, taking the wine from Dan.

“Those need to breathe a bit,” Lucifer offered as he peeled off the light leather jacket he wore, and threw it on the armchair near the door, only to find his brother at his elbow and definitely not expecting the bear hug Amenadiel gave him. “Glad you decided to participate after all, brother,” and he truly meant it. Lucifer shook him off, biting back the sharp retort that almost slipped out, noting the mutual smirk that quickly passed between Linda and Maze, seated on the opposite side of the table.

Trixie had followed her mother into the kitchen as Chloe opened the two bottles of Bordeaux and set them on the counter to breathe, and handed her daughter an extra plate and utensils.

Lucifer had eschewed his usual Italian suit and instead wore his favourite dark maroon shirt and black trousers, still managing to somehow look formal, despite the casualness of his attire. Dan and Chloe each quietly wondered how he always managed to look elegant, somehow, Dan with just a twinge of envy and Chloe with real appreciation.

His demeanor was subdued, as Trixie moved over a place so that the extra chair was beside Chloe, seated at the foot of the table, the turkey occupying the head end. He took a quick inventory of the room and judged that it looked somewhat like a Christmas boutique had exploded inside his partner’s apartment. The tree dominated of course, with its blinking lights and bright ornaments, the gas fireplace was on and, though they’d shoved the ripped and shredded wrappings back under the tree, it was clear that mayhem had occurred earlier.

He smiled at them as he took the place Trixie indicated, Dan on her other side, Chloe’s empty chair on his right, and nodded at Charlotte sitting across from Dan, with Maze and Linda next to her. 

Linda was grinning at him, having had to listen to his bitching a few days before in her office. There were two open bottles of wine already on the table, not grand cru, but some decent serviceable table wine. The doctor poured him a glass and said, “Well, as my old granny used to say, it’s nice to see that you decided to be a mensch instead of a putz today!” as she clinked her wine glass with his to general laughter…….

Then they got down to the business of serving, and the soon-to-be-serious business of eating, Chloe still standing and watching as platters passed here and there, making sure everyone had a little of everything and filling the gravy boats one more time before taking her seat at the far end of the table and selecting her own portions.

Dan held up his glass, “To the chef,” he said to general accolades, “you’ve pulled it off again. I’m never quite sure how you do it” (“loads of help” Chloe said, laughing) “but you always manage somehow--”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Maze, reaching for a biscuit, “enough talk, let’s eat!”

And for the next hour, that’s what they did.

Lucifer had sampled turkey only seldomly since being on earth, steak or seafood always his preference, but he had to admit, the food was delicious, the bird moist and tender. They would all help themselves enthusiastically to a second serving of nearly everything. 

“You did all this by yourself?” he had asked Chloe in genuine surprise.

“Oh no!” she said laughing, “turkey and dressing, yeah, Brussels – Dan did the yams, Linda made the salad and the strudel, and Trixie and Maze did the biscuits. Oh, and your brother did the mashed potatoes! So, I think we can call it a group effort……and thanks, everyone. I’d say it turned out pretty great…..”

“Here, here,” came the unanimous response. When they had all eaten their fill, Charlotte, Linda and Chloe got up to clear the plates and serving platters. By the time they’d finished, every available surface in the galley kitchen, including the stovetop, was covered in dishes.

Chloe was giggling, full to the gunwales, but with a carefree laugh she asked “Who’s up for dessert?” waving down the moans of protest as she brought the tray containing what remained of the apple strudel to the table, and Linda set the dessert plates out, Charlotte carrying the two bottles of wine Lucifer had provided. 

Though they were all stuffed, everyone had a plate of the luscious dessert, then set to the business of enjoying the fine vintages.

An hour after dinner they were all feeling mellow, and somehow slowed right down.

Dan was the first to announce it, “Dang, I’m definitely turkey-fied,” he said, patting his stomach appreciatively. “Come on, monkey,” he told Trixie, who was lounging sleepily on the couch, “time to get your overnight bag – you and me are doing this all again tomorrow at grandma’s place.” The child’s eyes were half-hooded with the tryptophan effect. “Come on, kid, if your dad doesn’t get home soon, I think I’m just going to curl up on the floor and go to sleep…….” 

Chloe was ahead of him already and he could smell the aroma of fresh, strong coffee, as he heard the last of it drip into the pot. “Bless you,” he mouthed at Chloe, then poked his daughter, who sleepily got to her feet, mumbling “I just have to go up and get it, I packed it last night….”

Chloe looked at her daughter with a soft expression, “I’ll get your bag for you, honey, did you remember to pack your toothbrush?” A nod from the child, as the detective went upstairs to retrieve her daughter’s travel bag. She’d stay with Dan tonight and his parents tomorrow and be fussed over again for another day, no doubt coming home with an armload of presents. “She got the haul this year,” she thought to herself with a smile….

Dan was already sipping his coffee, Amenadiel in the kitchen with him. Lucifer, Linda and Charlotte were talking in the living room. Trixie had ahold of Charlotte’s hand and Chloe heard her say “I’m glad you came over with daddy. My mum makes great turkey, doesn’t she?”

“That she does, little one, it was really good and the candied yams your dad made were wonderful.” Trixie wrinkled her little nose, definitely on the Brussels’ side of that argument (especially with bacon and cheese). “I’m glad I was here,” then looking up as Chloe came down the stairs with the child’s backpack, “thanks for making me feel welcome, detective. It really was fun and everything was great. You’re a good group of people…….I think I’m really going to enjoy working with you all….”

Dan had chugged the welcome jolt of caffeine, as the turkey had been threatening to pull him horizontal. And he had had at least three glasses of wine, he reminded himself (though with all that food on board it was no wonder that he barely noticed a buzz from the alcohol).

“Come on, Charlotte, Trixie – I’d better get this drive done while I’m wide awake, though it doesn’t seem like there’s much traffic.”

“There isn’t,” Lucifer confirmed, “the roads are surprisingly free today, I got here in half the time it usually takes—”

“Yeah, well I don’t drive like a maniac either,” Dan cracked, as he took his jacket from Chloe and his daughter’s gear and they said their goodnights after Trixie hugged her mum tight.

“You be good for grandma and grandpa, ok kid? See you in a couple of days.”

It was just the five of them now and Linda had that sleepy look too. “Think I’ll get an Uber,” she told them, “and I need a cup of that wonderful coffee, while I get my shit together……”

“I’ve got my car,” Amenadiel offered and Lucifer noticed the quick glance Maze and Linda exchanged, the demon with a knowing smirk.

“Are you offering to escort me home, sir?” Linda smiled at the angel demurely, as he offered her his arm.

“Goodnight, Chloe,” Linda beamed at her friend, “thank you so much for inviting me. I had a really good time today! And the food was delicious. We’ll have lunch later in the week or drinks somewhere……deal?”

“Deal,” Chloe answered as Linda and Amenadiel grabbed their coats and left.

It was just the three of them in the living room now, but just before it was about to feel somewhat awkward, they heard Maze’s phone buzzing loudly.

The demon reached into her pocket and looked at the number, slightly puzzled, then answered. In a flash her expression brightened and the look that came over her left no doubt that she was thinking some very lewd thoughts. “What are you doing in LA? Where are you?”

They could all hear the male voice laughing a reply. “The Warwick? Yes, I know it,” Maze was nodding. “Ok, Mr. FRASER,” emphasizing the name with a laugh, “that sounds like a fabulous idea.” Her voice had assumed a sensual purr. “A night cap sounds great. I’m on my way……….Biggest river in British Columbia, you say, Mr. Fraser?” 

They were all staring at her, even Lucifer looked taken aback. 

“Booty call,” Maze purred by way of explanation. “Seems an old friend is in town for a couple of days. Invited me for a, um, night cap. I just have to grab a few………things.” A moment later, she was back, a bag slung over her shoulder. In what could only have been mere seconds, she’d changed into a rather appealing and very slinky outfit, topped with her studded leather jacket.

She looked at Chloe with a grin. “Don’t wait up,” she said brightly, “I might be gone a couple of days.” Then winked and ran her tongue quickly across her upper lip. “Seems I got two presents today!”

“And you,” she raised an eyebrow at Lucifer, who looked at Chloe and said “I’d like to stay for a little while, if that’s all right with our hostess….”

Maze was grinning widely now. “Well, you two enjoy yourselves, won’t you? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” And with that, she too was gone, leaving Chloe and Lucifer standing awkwardly in the living room.

“There’s something I really need to talk to you about, Det—Chloe,” he said, “And I need you to listen to me.”

“Ok, Lucifer, but you know what? I’ve been wearing these clothes since early this morning, and they’re feeling a whole lot tighter than when I first put them on. Give me a minute while I go get into my grubs, ok?”

He nodded. And wondered how he was going to start this particular conversation without her losing her noodle again…….He had been wrong, he had actually really enjoyed himself today. It was ….comforting, in an odd sort of way. And it really had been a fine meal.

Before they left, Dan and Amenadiel had folded up the temporary table and rental chairs and leaned them against the wall for pick up in the morning. Lucifer pulled the couch a few feet further away from the fire and moved the coffee table back to its normal place.

He assumed a spot in front of the fireplace, his back to the staircase leading up to the bedrooms. 

He thought it a pity that it wasn’t a real log fire, but considering that most of the local counties were still on alert, he supposed it was practical. It had been a merciless fire season, the worst in recorded history, and some patches of southern California were still ablaze. Still, the tongues of the gas fire were mesmerizing, even though there was no crackling. 

He hoped this wouldn’t be too difficult.

But it was time and somehow happy circumstance had left them alone together late this particular night in December. He had the sudden certainty that it was the best thing. He needed Chloe, needed her to know. All of it. He had no idea if Marcus/Cain would be friend or enemy, and he knew Chloe liked the man. He had no idea who was behind his recent change, only that her advice, her confidence, her intelligence and support, were what he wanted, what he needed from her. It surprised him, frankly, that his physical attraction to her (and hers to him) was a mere afterthought. 

There was only one way. He looked around and gauged the distances on either side, then with a sigh resumed staring at the fire

He heard the shocked intake of breath as Chloe came down the stairs, but he didn’t turn around. He wanted her to get a good long look before he retracted the wings…….

When he finally turned around, she stood there with her mouth open in surprise. Her eyes were glistening with what it took him a moment to realize were tears.

She tried to say something as the wings vanished, but seemed unable to form the words. In her oversized LAPD T-shirt and loose track pants, she looked rather waif-like as she stared at him, confusion, shock and understanding registering almost simultaneously on her lovely face.

“Perhaps I should pour us a bit of a night cap,” Lucifer said quietly. “I, uh, have a lot to tell you…..”

It wasn’t the way he wanted to explain it to her, to show her his real self. But it was going to have to do. 

\--End--


	2. THAT NIGHT IN DECEMBER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foreword: Wasn’t really planning a follow up chapter to THAT DAY IN DECEMBER, but as I was sipping a lovely demerara rum and thick eggnog, I thought I might as well carry it through a little further and throw NY Eve into the mix………Hope it pleases!

THAT NIGHT IN DECEMBER

 

Chloe woke with a sudden start, her first mental image the sight of Lucifer leaning against the fireplace and the great white wings stretching out on either side of him.

She half-wondered if it had all been a dream. But she knew it had not.

She stretched long and hard, noting she was still in her sweat pants and LAPD sleep shirt. And that she was in bed. She did not remember crawling up the stairs to her bedroom (she knew there was no way she could have walked), but here she was underneath the duvet.

She tossed the covers aside and rolled over. Her phone was on the night stand and beneath it a square of note paper. Reaching for it, she recognized Lucifer’s flourishy scroll: “Sorry to leave you. Have a few things to tend to at Lux. Please join me at the penthouse when you wake up. There’s more. L.”

She smiled to herself.

Though Christmas dinner had been odd, it had been fun and warm and light and everyone had enjoyed themselves, leaving smiling and stuffed.

It seemed so many days ago now, because what had followed had been the strangest few hours of Chloe’s life…….She couldn’t (and didn’t want to) shake the image of Lucifer’s grand wings…….and of how quickly they had disappeared when he had finally turned around.

It was the look on his face that stuck as well. He had seemed almost shy and that had been nearly as startling as all that followed. Mr. ‘No Boundaries’ had actually looked uncertain, perhaps even a little embarrassed.

He had poured them both a couple of fingers of the Laphroaig he had brought and sat down on the couch, one hand patting the cushion beside him. It was only a nano-second of hesitation before she joined him.

They had talked until the wee hours, THAT she remembered quite well. So much of what she had experienced with him had now become clear, the questions that had swirled through her mind for months suddenly having the perspective of a whole new understanding.

For some strange reason, after the initial gut-churn of shock, it had all made a lot more sense than the original memories had. Her mind was reeling, the added effect of a good deal of alcohol compounding the effect.

She didn’t remember falling asleep. Lucifer must have helped me up the stairs, she thought idly and then a reality check as she realized the state of what must be waiting below, dishes piled to the ceiling and a very big mess to clean.

With a resigned sigh, she sat up, the surreal events of the night before fading slightly, giving a little shriek as she looked at her phone and realized it was damned near 11:00 a.m. 

Coffee. Must have coffee. Coffee first. Clean the kitchen. Shower!

As she came down the stairs she couldn’t remember climbing the night before, she blinked and did a double-take on entering the kitchen. It was practically spotless, no dishes in sight, counters wiped. The silver-handled carving set was placed neatly on a tea towel to the side of the sink, the long-stemmed wine glasses in the dish rack. She opened the dishwasher and saw the dinner plates and all the pots and pans expertly stacked and……clean.

Funny, I didn’t hear the dishwasher running. I must’ve been out cold.

Then a smile, as she realized that Lucifer had taken care of the mess for her. I wonder what other weird surprises are in store, her mind asked and she had to admit, she had no answers. The devil (yes, she told the skeptical part of her brain, THE devil) did not appear to have even an inkling of domesticity, let alone enough to use his own hands to stack the dishwasher. This was almost as much of a shock as the wings had been.

But, hey, Decker, at least YOU don’t have to do it! She was grinning as she put the coffee on and headed back upstairs to take a shower.

________

An hour later she will just pulling up to Lux, where quite a hubbub of activity was happening, two large trucks outside, people carrying long tables and an endless train of folding chairs and………wait, were those Christmas trees? She parked across the street and, as she entered the foyer, there came three more sets of people with three more trees in pots (live ones, she realized), all decorated, the pots with big red ribbons wrapped around them. The trees, along with everything else coming out of the club, were loaded into the waiting trucks, as workmen were piling boxes and chairs and folding tables……

What the hell is going on? she wondered.

The club was buzzing with action, literally, as at least a couple of dozen people were taking down decorations and filling boxes and bags with what looked like the detritus of a very large party. 

This is very odd, she was thinking, sure that Lucifer had told her the club was closed since the staff party and she knew it wasn’t due to reopen for another six days, on New Year’s Eve.

She could see the form of Andre Thibault, Lucifer’s club manager, directing a group of about five people and pointing here and there. Standing next to him was a man in uniform of black and red. But not military. 

Is that a Salvation Army uniform? Chloe thought, no it can’t be….what the hell would they be doing at Lux the day after Christmas? 

The man in the SA uniform caught sight of her and poked Andre in the arm.

He gave her a bright smile of recognition. “Hey, Ms. Decker! Boss is up in the penthouse……”

“What’s going on here?” She couldn’t help but ask. Andre walked over, “oh, we’re just cleaning up from last night…..it was, uh, a private thing. Boss leant us (well, leant ME) the club for a couple of days……”

“Were those Christmas trees I saw going out the door?” She started giggling at Andre’s nod. “Lucifer must’ve just been beside himself!” At the name, the SA gentleman shot them a sharp glance.

Andre pulled her a little further away and explained. “The wildfires, you know. Well, a couple missions burned down in the last couple of weeks and my wife does some volunteer work, so, to make a long story short, they needed a space to do Christmas dinner for some pretty needy folks……so, uh, I made a deal with the boss—” He grinned as Chloe burst out laughing, wondering just what ‘favour’ the Devil would think up to make Andre pay for this….invasion.

“Oh, you poor guy,” she said through a chuckle, “I don’t think I even want to know what he has in store for you!”

“Yeah, neither do I!” Andre’s laugh was contagious. “I’m sure he’ll think of something though……I just hope it isn’t too terrible! Worth it though – we fed a lot of people a great big feast yesterday……I don’t mind paying the devil his due for this one.”

Chloe wondered if the man actually knew how true his last statement had been. She smiled warmly at the SA gentleman, wished Andre a merry Christmas, and took the stairs up to the elevator, a little smile playing on her lips. (She’d have to tease him about this later, she thought with satisfaction, as she punched the button that summoned the lift.)  
______

She found the Devil standing at the door to the rooftop terrace, wearing a sleeveless black sweat shirt and, oh my, were those actually track pants? Not your normal ones, of course, no, these looked positively tailored, no doubt from some ridiculously expensive……..

“Hello, my dear Detective,” he said without even turning around. “I take it you are well-rested?”

“Yes, I am, thank you for asking,” she giggled, she couldn’t help herself. “I was just talking to your bartender….looks like some major mayhem happened while we were having our dinner last night…..”

“Don’t worry, he’s going to pay for it. I just haven’t figured out how, exactly, …….but I will think of something,” he said, smiling, as he turned to face her. 

She was in her jeans and a white shirt, hair in her usual ponytail, leather jacket slung over her shoulder. She gave him a soft glance, “Don’t be too hard on him, Lucifer, feeding a couple of hundred hungry people on Christmas is not a bad thing, you know, even if you are the devil. I think what Andre and his wife did is great, you just gave them the means……..and it’s kind of sweet, actually.”

Lucifer tried to glare at her, but the feeling of her knowing who and what he was just gave him such a strange glow (was that happiness?), that he could not pull it off.

“Be that as it may,” he changed the subject immediately, “I’ve taken the liberty of making us a Boxing Day lunch, nothing special, just a few things to nibble on while we talk……..

“There’s something really important that you have to know.”

“Oh?” with a raised eyebrow.

“Come on into the kitchen, we can eat while we talk,” and Chloe followed him, surprised to see a rather simple (but delicious-looking) luncheon laid out on the breakfast nook. Some lovely green grapes, a small plate of pate and a couple of soft cheeses, with three or four different types of crackers and some sliced pears. It looked very inviting.

“Please, sit, my dear, what sort of wine would you like?”

Well, she was on vacation, after all, so she nodded at the red choice he offered and reached for a slice of pear.

“There’s something I have to tell you about our new Lieutenant…….”

If Chloe had been gob-smacked before, she was about to get a lesson in the escalation of strangeness………. “Oh? What about him? He seems to be a pretty straight-up guy.”

Lucifer took a sip of his wine, “Well, he isn’t. For one thing, his real name is Cain.”

Chloe wasn’t sure where he was going with this. “You mean Marcus Cain, not Pierce?”

Marcus Cain, Lucifer laughed at the irony, since it was The Mark that had given him away. “Well, that may actually fit the situation,” he grinned at her. “No, I mean THE Cain. You know, Cain, Abel, Adam, Eve……?”

“I have to keep reminding myself that you aren’t some raving lunatic….but you do know how insane that sounds?”

“More insane than me being the Devil, or my brother an angel? Or your roommate being the head demon and Hell’s chief torturer?”

Chloe took a very large sip of wine and held her glass out for a refill, “I suppose if you put it that way, it sounds a little more plausible….” She offered tentatively, then with conviction, “just what, exactly, led you to that conclusion? And, I mean, THAT Cain would have died thousands of years ago……”

“He was the first murderer, Chloe, he took his brother’s life.” (Just like I did, he thought to himself.) “No matter how fitting his reasons seemed to him at the time, he was the first murderer, the very first one amongst you humans. And Dad was really pissed off about it – he was all judgy back then, you know, smiting, the whole bit…..

“Hell didn’t exist yet, so as Cain’s punishment, he was condemned to wander the earth for eternity……He can’t be killed. And he’s been alive all these millennia…..”

“But, no, wait – he took a bullet for me……And he was bleeding out, he nearly died…..” her voice trailed off uncertainly.

“Didn’t you wonder how he was able to come back to work so quickly? How strong he appeared to be when he came back?” Chloe nodded, remembering him moving furniture at the precinct, seemingly effortlessly, two weeks after a nearly fatal chest wound, and began to consider this latest of strange stories.

“That’s what got me wondering in the first place. Then I remembered something in the so-called Sinnerman’s personal items, a picture of him as a child…..this picture, in fact,” he told her, as he got up and walked to the counter to retrieve the photo.

She could see from the shape of the child’s face, his hairline and features, that it indeed was a childhood snap of their dead perp……the one that Marcus had shot dead, even though it was Lucifer brandishing the knife and not the man who had blinded himself.

“The arm,” Lucifer prompted and she looked more closely, then noticed a very faint scar in the same spot as their Lieutenant’s military tattoo. “He doesn’t age, you see…….he remains always the age he was when he murdered his brother…..”

“But, surely, that is just a coincidence? I mean, Pierce seems pretty human to me, and, well, he also seems to be a decent person…..I need more than you just saying he’s the biblical Cain!”

“Very well, Detective. I asked him to meet me, here as a matter of fact. Well, actually down in the club……” And her eyes became impossibly large as Lucifer told her about driving one of Maze’s knives into the heart of their new boss.

“I thought for a moment – just a moment, mind you – that I might have made a mistake. But I waited and, sure enough, up he got and just pulled the knife out of his chest…..After that, well, he couldn’t very well deny who he was. We actually had a rather interesting conversation and a few drinks….”

“But, when, Lucifer? I mean—”

“The night he killed his protégé……..after you, uh, got so angry with me. And I don’t blame you for being angry……but how could I tell you the whole truth? I thought whoever the Sinnerman was working for, that they, well, I couldn’t put you in unnecessary danger. That simply wasn’t an option…..”

“So you let me think that you were a liar, a crazy person, or just a damned jerk that couldn’t be trusted? You could have shown me then, you know, why didn’t you?”

“Better you should think me all those things than have me put you in danger, I couldn’t do that to you…..I didn’t want whatever/whoever is coming after me to see you as a target……”

At that, she stood up and took a step that brought her next to him. Sitting down he was almost, but not quite, as tall as she was. Almost without a thought, she put her arms around him and just held him, his head resting on her shoulder, as he tightened his arms around her.

She could not see the single tear that made its way down his cheek.  
_____

 

They had continued talking throughout the afternoon. It was agreed that Chloe would not let on about her awareness of the Lieutenant’s true identify.

“I want to try and draw him out,” Lucifer had explained and Chloe had readily agreed.

Their last conversation that day had been about New Year’s Eve.

“I would very much like you to be, well, let’s say my ‘date’ for the evening,” Lucifer had wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “You’ll all be my guests, I thought I would invite everyone from your dinner….and Maze’s ‘friend’ if he’s still around….”

Though it wasn’t her style, Chloe had agreed. She knew the tickets, at $500 a pair, had sold out months ago. Two hundred pairs of tickets, pulling in a nice hundred grand for the club….as she pointed out.

“Well, yes, but I have to pay my staff and extra security. There’ll be a bottle of Dom Perignon for each pair of tickets and a platter of goodies on each table……..we worked all that out months ago. We’ll probably end up losing money that night…..I’ve hired a live band for the evening, a DJ just won’t do on New Year’s Eve….”

“Your date, huh? Does that mean I won’t have to fight my way through hordes of women to even speak to you?” He saw that she was teasing him.

“I can promise you that,” he told her with a grin. “By the way, it’s semi-formal dress for this particular party.”

“Of course it is, how come I already guessed that?” She tossed him a bright laugh as she headed towards the elevator. Her phone was ringing.

“Hey, Dan.” Then, “no, I’m not at home yet, I’m at Lux” (pause) “just heading out now, I’ll meet you there in about half an hour. Have to pick up a couple of things on the way home.”

She ended the call and said her goodbyes, smiling at him as the doors closed.  
________

The days ahead were busy at Lux, despite the club being closed. There was a great deal to do regarding set up for December 31. The long stand-up tables were all removed, to be replaced mostly with two-seat small tables and a smattering of square tables for four that could be put together for the odd larger party. The booths along the walls would remain as they were, with a chair or two added, they could comfortably hold eight if needed.

Lucifer had kept the centre of the mezzanine for himself and his private guests, it offered a perfect view of the stage and the dance floor and, of course, points of egress from other parts of the club. He had actually given instructions that it be roped off to prevent the more enthusiastic party-goers from intruding.

The chefs had been booked months ahead of time, a half a dozen to put together hors d’oeuvres for the patrons and two who would be dedicated to the private guests.

He’d let Chloe invite Dan and Charlotte, but he wanted personally to extend the invitation to Linda and his brother. Maze, he knew, would not be kept away by earthquake or tsunami, with our without her ‘out of town visitor’……..

He had invited the adorable Ms. Lopez and a guest and she had almost fallen over, babbling about having to shop for a new dress and gushing about, well, everything. He hoped she’d bring a date, he didn’t think he could make it through hours of her babbling, despite the fact that he genuinely liked her.

But there was one guest he couldn’t quite decide on, and that was the Lieutenant. Part of him wanted to just rub Cain’s face in the whole ambience of the club, another part wanted the immortal human as far away from him as possible. The man had seemed forthright in their post-stabbing conversation, convivial even, which had surprised Lucifer, but made him wonder just what the first human bad boy actually wanted from him. He simply could not trust the man and knew he would be a fool to.

He had actually sought Chloe’s opinion on this one for the reasons he outlined to her. He had laughed when she favoured an invite, echoing his own thoughts as she told him “You know the old adage, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

They grabbed as much time as they could manage over the next few days, an hour here or there, a longish phone call or two, and he had actually managed one late-night visit on December 28, after phoning ahead to make sure the small human was safely asleep. It would not do to have Chloe’s daughter overhear their discussions, they both agreed on that point……

By the time the 30th rolled around, it seemed that everything would go smoothly, as far as possible contingency planning went.

Lucifer had delivered the invitation to Marcus/Cain in person at the station. The man had looked up at him with a raised eyebrow as he had accepted, after asking why he was receiving the invitation in the first place.

“I don’t know what your game is, Cain,” Lucifer told him “But, it’s New Year’s Eve and Lux is the hottest ticket in town. You might actually enjoy yourself. You look like you could use a night out, if it all hasn’t gotten too old for you. 

“Lopez will be there, Det. Espinoza and our new prosecutor – I’m even providing the food and drink, so why not?”

Cain looked at him, but could not think of a reason to refuse, and many reasons to accept. Lucifer had no idea of the careful files that Cain had gathered on him and those in his close personal circle, the files that were locked in his private credenza.

________  
On the morning of the 31st, Chloe punched Lucifer’s number and asked a small favour, “Would it be all right if I changed over at your place before the, uh, festivities? I’m not sure I want to drive in my evening clothes and high heels, it would make things a whole lot easier—”

He had willingly agreed, if only for the excuse of having a few more hours with her before the party. “There’ll be food at Lux for later, but would a light supper suit you? I’m afraid I’ll have to be downstairs when the doors open, but you can have the run of the apartment while you get ready…..”

“Deal, Mr. Morningstar!” she told him.

Lucifer smiled as he ended the call. Since confessing who he was to her, he had felt as though a great weight had been lifted from him. He felt lighter, somehow, calmer and, he realized, less frantic in his pursuit of distraction. Just knowing that he had her support and, far more importantly, her trust, had given him a different perspective entirely. He could now be himself around her without having to dance around the elephant in the room.

And it felt wonderful.  
_________

 

Even though it was the weekend and Dan technically had Trixie, Chloe’s mum had come home from Aspen on Thursday and planned a quiet NY Eve at home, delighted to have her granddaughter as company for the night, so that both parents could enjoy a New Year’s out. The last time she had babysat on that particular night, Chloe and Dan had still been in the early stages of their marriage and had looked forward to rocking out the last night of the year. Before things had fallen apart a few years back.

She hoped her daughter (and her former son-in-law) both would have a wonderful night. And wondered if Chloe and the handsome club owner would ever get beyond their obvious friendship into something a little more romantic. She did not mind helping that along in any way she could. He was, after all, rich, charming, and a fine piece of eye candy on top of it all……..Chloe could do a lot worse, she thought with a mother’s smile.

_______

The Detective pulled up to the entrance to Lux just after 6:00. The attendant, a young lad, looking very professional and handsome in his uniform, greeted her with a huge smile.

“Hi, Ms. Decker,” he beamed, “Boss said you should park in his private lot, entrance is around back,” as he handed her a key fob, “this will unlock the gate. He said ‘tell her to park next to the Corvette’ – it should be right in front of the elevator, that’ll take you up to the top floor.”

She thanked the lad and wondered why he seemed too young to have yet had a legal drink.

She’d only been in the lower parking garage once with Lucifer, realizing suddenly that all the fine vehicles she had seen there, instead of being for patrons with expensive cars, as she had assumed, probably belonged to Lucifer. Finding out that he owned several million-dollar properties across LA and its environs had been a bit of a shock, but the realization that all these prized vehicles were his too did manage to register.

A lot smaller on the Richter scale than everything else she had learned in the last few days though. She supposed it was all relative, after all…….

She found the spot easily enough, the Corvette obvious even amongst the several Mercedes……..and, shit, was that a friggin’ Lamborghini? Of course it was. He was Lucifer. A man of wealth and taste.

Of course he would own a goddamned Lambo. Why would I ever think he wouldn’t?

She had a small moment of self-doubt, just a small one, as she punched the elevator for the penthouse, her garment bag slung over her shoulder along with a tote of assorted essentials.

Life is full of surprises, Decker, just roll with it. You can think about it all later.

She could hear music as the lift was almost to the penthouse. Not rock and roll. Classical piano.

She recognized the piece as the doors opened. It was Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and she recognized the Horowitz version. During her classical music phase as a teenager, she had listened to it often. It was filled with drama and passion. She had always loved that piece.

“Hello, Detective!” She heard him calling from another room, “Make yourself at home, I’ll be out in a minute.” She placed her garment bag over the edge of the couch and looked around. He had a fire going, a real log fire (aren’t those illegal?, she thought for just a moment before being captured by it, then realizing she didn’t really care if it was or not)……

“Chloe?” She jumped as he was suddenly beside her, caught being mesmerized by the fire.

“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said quietly. She could smell the scent of soap and wetness from the obviously recent shower, he was wrapped in a quilted long robe of black, with a red scrolled collar.

“Just doing a bit of manscaping before the party, luv. May I get you something to drink?” 

At her nod, he walked behind the bar. “Wine? White? Red?”

“Rose, if you have it, seems appropriate for New Year’s.”

“I’m a bit of a bad host, sorry. Had one of the chefs send up a Caesar salad with prawns, something light to tide us over until later. There’ll be treats for the evening, I won’t let you go hungry….”

He looked in one of the bar fridges, then a “got ya” as he found the right bottle and popped it open, pouring them each a generous glass. He took a sip of his, then “make yourself comfortable while I finish dressing. I won’t be long.”

Chloe draped herself on the mustard-coloured sofa and sipped her wine, then took a look around the apartment with new eyes. She paid particular attention to the stained glass pieces she had always thought merely beautiful, and noted the themes of angels doing battle, the odd chandelier that twisted itself above the baby grand. It looked like the root system of some great tree, the tiny lights leading to the surface……An Assyrian wall, a panel of Egyptian hieroglyphics amongst the things she could remember from history classes, and other odd writings that she did not. 

There was of course the alcohol wall, but what she noticed tonight was the seemingly endless collection of books, both modern and very old, she even thought she saw a scroll or two on the shelves up high nearest the ceiling. 

She hadn’t really given his library much thought before, even the night of her birthday as she and Linda plotted to look through Lucifer’s sock drawer. She remembered Linda pulling out a leather folder, taking a shocked breath, and carefully put it back on its shelf as if it was something precious……

She picked what she thought was the right choice, her eyes going wide as she saw the handwritten folio of Hamlet and the bard’s note “thanks for the tips, Will.” 

“Just gave him a few suggestions,” Lucifer’s voice came from behind her, and she was grateful she didn’t drop the folio. She put the leather folder carefully back in its spot and looked at him with a grin.

“You know I have about a zillion questions right now,” she asked.

“’Fraid those will just have to wait for another time.” He looked at his watch. “I’ll have to make it down to the club shortly and greet some of the guests…….did you get yourself something to eat?”

“I’ll have a bit of the salad and a few prawns. I think I’ll save my appetite for all the delicious goodies later,” she told him with a grin.

He was wearing the trousers of a black tux, with an open-collared black dress shirt. All in black from head to toe. He put the jacket on and did a quick turn in front of her, cocking an eyebrow for the effect.

“You look incredibly handsome,” she told him, and meant it. His smile got a bit wider and he bowed ever so slightly in acknowledgement of her approval.

“I’ll see you downstairs in about an hour,” she said, giving him a thumbs up. “Go schmooze.”

As the elevator door closed behind him, she felt a little stab of insecurity, then mentally kicked herself. Come on, Decker, gear up!

__________

 

Lux had filled up quickly once the doors opened at 8:00. There were no line-ups up tonight, no room left for a single wannabe waiting hopefully outside. Those lucky enough to have scored tickets were not planning to leave any time before midnight.

The band would start its first set around 10:00, an hour away. Lucifer had done a quick walk-through of the horrendously busy kitchen, as the chefs and their numerous assistants churned out trays of appetizers with production line efficiency. He stopped for a few minutes to inspect the preparations for his private guests, nodding at the many lobsters split in half that adorned the prep area.

He’d purchased a case of Krug Grande Cuvee at $2,000 a bottle for his table and nodded as he saw the ice buckets being prepped and the case being opened. Everything to his satisfaction, he smiled encouragement and went back to the club.

Dan and Charlotte had already arrived and were sitting at the mezzanine level. And there was Maze, leaning on the railing and scanning the crowd. He noted the man in the tuxedo sitting with her, a quite handsome fellow in his mid-forties. Oh, of course. Lucifer chuckled. Ben ‘Fraser’ indeed. Ben Rivers, rather, target of Maze’s most challenging hunt so far. Longest river in British Columbia, he huffed to himself, wondering idly if it was true. He was certainly more handsome in person than over face chat in Linda’s office. Of course, he had been shot then, and obviously was not at his best.

He looked closely at the demon and noted the languid smile. She only got THAT look after days of dedicated shagging. Hmmm. She HAD fluffed the man’s pillow after all, Lucifer still wouldn’t have believed it without Linda seeing it too….Well done, Mazy! Just as she caught his eye and grinned at him.

Well, well, well. You can never tell now, can you? Mr. Rivers looked happy enough, judging by the affectionate looks he was giving the demon. 

Lucifer shook his head and wandered around the club, greeting people here and there, stopping to chat with the odd person, being the quintessential ‘good host’.

They had all taken ‘semi-formal’ to heart and were dressed to the literal nines, the men sporting tuxedos, the women in their finest, jewellery glittering in the slowly flashing lights and bright silver and white bobbles and studded disco balls that hung everywhere.

The club dripped with elegance, far more so than on a usual night. Crisp white tablecloths adorning each table, liveried wait-staff placed strategically throughout to see to the whims of the guests, roses and small candles on every table, each sitting in small silver dishes (solid silver, it must be noted). 

The Devil was quite pleased with himself at the beauty of the arrangements. A bit of a departure, yes, but Andre had really outdone himself this year and had followed Lucifer’s instructions to the letter. He wouldn’t tell him, of course, but this certainly was part of the payback from his Christmas favour…….

He noted his brother and Linda arriving, the doctor looking lovely in a form fitting black dress, her hair in an up do, her only jewellery a pair of diamond earrings and a gold necklace with a small diamond drop that caught the light beautifully.

“Happy New Year, Lucifer,” she grasped his hands warmly, and despite the very high heels that she wore, he still had to bend down so that she could give him a New Year kiss. 

His brother actually looked quite presentable in a classic tux with stiff white shirt and bow tie. 

“I’m impressed, brother,” Amenadiel told him, glancing about the room in real appreciation. “By the way, where is the lovely Detective?”

“In the penthouse getting ready – she should be done momentarily—” 

They both were looking at him as his jaw dropped for a second, before a slow smile began to spread across his face.

Turning, they saw Chloe slowly approaching the staircase from the direction of the elevator. She stood at the rail for a moment, letting her eyes survey the room, a queen surveying her assembled subjects.

She looked stunning in a dark blue chenille velvet gown, dangerously low cut, yet simple and chic. She carried herself with poise and grace.

Linda looked at Lucifer and could swear she saw a hint of fire behind the dark eyes. She watched with a smile as he made his was to the stairs. She looked up at Amenadiel, the angel looking utterly shocked at the detective’s transformation.

Chloe took one step down and Lucifer felt a small shiver of pleasure as he saw that the lovely gown she wore was slit at least halfway up the thigh, the dark stockings she wore shimmering with just a slight hint of silver. He had never seen her look so lovely, hair swept in a long beautiful curl over her right shoulder, held to the side with a simple gold clip. She wore small gold drop earrings and he noted with pleasure the fine gold chain around her neck, the necklace he’d given her on her birthday.

She waited on the top step until he reached her, then blushed as he whispered in a soft purr “was that the hint of a garter I glimpsed at the top of that amazing leg?”

She looked demurely down, a small smile playing at one corner of her gorgeous lips, a coy “maybe…….” her only reply, as she took his arm. She could feel the eyes on them as Lucifer walked her slowly over to the doctor and his brother, some with frank admiration, most with outright envy. She knew in her bones how fine they must have looked together.

Linda gave her a warm hug and whispered “well done, Tribey, well done.” 

_________

They had assumed their positions in the cordoned off portion of the mezzanine as the band began to play an appealing mix of old, new and in-between, the one rule that Lucifer had given them had been “keep them dancing.”

He was particularly interested in making the acquaintance of Maze’s companion and found the man charming and amiable. He noted that Maze had tuned down her usual slut-celebrating attire in favour of a long and slinky black skirt, and a backless (and nearly frontless) sequined top, held precariously in place only by the tiny spaghetti straps and Maze’s effortless will. She looked truly lovely and the two of them together made quite a handsome pairing. 

The band launched into a long version of an old Clash song, and both Lucifer and Chloe laughed out loud at the memory it triggered. He wiggled an eyebrow at her and pointed to the dance floor, she nodding happily as he grabbed her hand.

And dance they did, song after song. As the night wore on, people began to sing along with the songs they knew, not caring if they could actually carry the tune, as the band was blessedly loud. Exceptionally good musicians too, covering tunes often better than the original performers.

People were having a huge amount of fun, it was obvious from the giddy smiles.

Finally the band took a break and they made their way back to the mezzanine, where Lucifer held court, nodding at the servers to bring food, obviously enjoying the pleasure it gave his guests, as they sampled bits of lobster, prawns and scallops, tiny but delicious canapés of all sorts, washed down with the appropriate vintages.

He was in his most charming mode, keeping them laughing with outrageous observations about the guests and themselves, keeping it light and fun. 

Miss Lopez had arrived unescorted and seemed a little nervous, but otherwise ready to party.

The last to arrive had been Marcus. He’d given his name at the door and been pointed to the mezzanine, catching Lucifer’s wary eye as he wandered through the club, noting some surprisingly famous names in the dim light of the booths and an enthusiastic and very happy audience. He was a little surprised at the décor, very thirties retro with just a hint of disco, but definitely bone-shaking rock and roll at the heart.

He had to admit, even he was impressed, realizing just how far Lucifer’s reach extended. He noted several judges with (presumably) their wives, a lawyer or two from both sides of the fence amongst the glitterati. From what he could tell, all were having a wonderful evening.

When he finally made his way to the mezzanine he took no time in walking up to Lucifer and offering his hand. “I’m impressed,” he said, quite honestly, then smiled in genuine astonishment at his best detective, sitting beside the Lord of Hell. He noted that their thighs were touching, as Lucifer leaned back, his arm almost unnoticeably draped around Chloe’s shoulder. “You look incredible tonight, Detective Decker,” he told her before taking his seat.

“Glad you could make it, Lieutenant, try some of the food,” she said brightly and he noted her left hand just grazing Lucifer’s knee as she pointed at the table.

He took a mental inventory of the understated, yet lavish temptations and decided at that moment that just enjoying the whole experience was in order. We’ll sort the rest out later, Lucifer, he thought, as he helped himself to some exceptional-looking prawns and some of the enticing hors d’oeuvres that dotted the tables.

Then he noticed the demon and her handsome companion and immediately recognized Ben Rivers from the photographs in his files. The man was no longer wanted for murder, so was in fact quite free to return to Los Angeles. It hadn’t occurred to Cain that he would be so daring so soon.

He walked over to them and introduced himself, having only seen Mazikeen once when she had returned from her initial hunt for Rivers. He wondered if Lucifer had told her who he was. The great Mazikeen, left hand of the Prince of Darkness……

Maze just grinned at him, obviously far more interested in her companion. Rivers looked comfortably relaxed and said “thanks for listening, Lieutenant, and doing something about that jerk – it isn’t easy living with a bounty on your head, especially when you haven’t done anything.”

“It’s my best detective you should thank, Mr. Rivers. And her partner…the whole of my team was pulling for you in the end. Turns out they made me listen to them, so, you’re welcome. Seems you’ve made some fans amongst the troops,” he added with a wink at Maze.

This was all so very interesting, watching the byplay. He paid particular attention to Lucifer’s brother, who seemed completely oblivious to any insider information. Cain was puzzled, but he was a very good poker player and had learned to make his façade, indeed, long before the game of poker had even been invented.

The evening played on with the band. It was apparent by the end of their 11:00 set that a good buzz was being shared by everyone. Smiles were bright and genuine, the dance floor packed, couples snuggling, and much laughing.

Lucifer thought it had so far been a near-perfect evening, made all the more pleasurable beside his lovely partner. He had not left her side all evening and it had seemed perfectly natural. They whispered conspiratorially once in awhile, never once glancing at the Lieutenant, occasionally exchanging a small wink between them. Lucifer realized that he was as happy as he had been in a very long time.

It was 11:56 by the clock tower that suddenly appeared on the huge screen behind the band. Lucifer walked down to the stage and grabbed the mike from the lead guitardist/singer, as the stage crew shone a single spotlight on him.

“Are you all having a good time?” he asked the crowd to a roar of applause and affirmative shouts.

“Get your champagne corks ready for popping and join the countdown about a minute from now……The band will do one more encore set after we welcome the New Year, so don’t even think about leaving!”

And with a wave, he handed the mike back to the singer, stopping for a moment to whisper something in the man’s ear. Chloe was watching him carefully, saw the musician nod and whisper something back with a laugh, as he waved the other band members over.

Lucifer grabbed a bottle of the Krug from its ice bucket, and two flutes from the many that lined the table and got ready. Chloe had time to ask him what he’d said.

“Oh, I just requested one more song for the encore, one I hope will suit the end of the night,” and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, as Chloe beamed at him.

The countdown began at 11:59 and got louder and louder. When the chant hit five seconds to midnight, the popping of corks began, as all the screens that surrounded the venue flashed to life with images of fireworks exploding from cities around the world, everyone grabbing the person nearest them for the traditional New Year’s kisses and shouts and silly noisemakers.

Only Maze really noted just how softly Lucifer was kissing Chloe, lingering on her lips just a little longer than was really necessary between ‘friends’ – Maze smiled to herself, wondering if they would finally get around to really getting to know each other.

The audience began clapping as the band prepared to resume and there were groans from the tired dancers as they launched into a blistering, fast rendition of Bob Marley’s classic “Exodus”. Back to the dance floor they went, joined by nearly everyone in the club.

It was intoxicating. The champagne, the lights, the noise. The atmosphere charged with genuine celebration.

Marcus/Cain had had enough when the second encore song began, a rendition of Sympathy for the Devil that would have done the Stones themselves proud. The singer even did a reasonable facsimile of the classic Jagger strut and both guitar and bass moved like the other Glimmer Twin.

The crowd went mad, singing the chorus and jumping as the rhythm took them. It felt like the whole building was shaking as Cain made his way outside, the screamed chorus of “Hoo HOO” still audible on the night air…….

Well, you won this round, Lucifer, my friend, and it really was a helluva good party, he thought to himself as he got into his car.  
_______

 

Lucifer hoped the last song would be as good as this one, as the band closed out Sympathy to the cheers of the crowd and screams of Encore! Encore! It had been one of his better parties, and he had taken a nice shot across Cain’s bow. Still, he was glad the fellow had left.

The band let the crowd settle just a little bit before they began the slow intro into a beautiful version of Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” and as the song took flight, everyone felt the rhythm somewhat lower than the gut.

Linda decided it was time to leave and looked around for Lucifer, to thank him for a splendid evening.

He was nowhere to be found. No Chloe either. On a hunch she took a quick glance to the left side of the mezzanine, in time to see the last gleam of gold light as the elevator doors to the penthouse closed.

She was grinning when Maze grabbed her. “Have you seen Lucifer?” she asked.

“No, Maze, and I don’t think we’re going to see those two any more tonight – I’m pretty sure I saw the elevator doors shut—”

Maze’s laugh was loud and genuine.

“Well it’s about damned time!” she said between peals of laughter. “Watching those two do that dance around each other is almost as boring as watching paint dry!” She reached for a half-full bottle of the Krug.

“I think THAT deserves a toast,” she said with an evil smirk. 

Linda laughed. “Oh, I’ll drink to that!”

++++++++++

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End Notes: Just finished this an hour ago and a quick peruse before posting (please forgive any typos!). Didn’t intend to extend THAT DAY IN DECEMBER, but my mind kept on with the previous story the day after I posted it, so I just wrote it down. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> So glad to see this weird year end. HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you and may your new years bring all of you happiness.
> 
> BTW, that Hozier song, I always thought was perfect for the Lucifer/Chloe dynamic! So I just kind of had to put it in there somewhere…… Give it a listen if you don’t already know it!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hope you enjoyed the story and that all of you great AO3 people had an awesome Christmas. As I'm posting, I'm eating a turkey sandwich and drinking wine. My mind just wondered what our Lucifer show characters would do on Christmas 2017, and out came my story. It was more to tide me over until Jan 22 when the show returns (I know, I know, there's a special one on NY Day, but it's one from S2 that they moved to this season and is a complete flashback ep). I hope they do the Chloe reveal soon, that's my Christmas wish for our weird cast of characters......Ain't it wonderful that this vile year is almost over? Happy New Year to all you Lucifans........


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